Improved replaceable electric switch

ABSTRACT

An improved electrical switch, in which the switch element is removable from the switch housing and replaceable by a similar switch element, with the external electrical conductors being permanently connected to the said switch housing. The switch element, including the operator, may be fastened to the switch housing by means of an external screw thread on the switch element body, which mates with the female thread form in the recess in the switch body, to make electrical contact with the external conductors.

United States Paten 1191 Lay [54] IMPROVED REPLACEABLE ELECTRIC SWITCH [75] Inventor:

[73] Assignee: The Raymond Lee Organization,

Inc., New York, NY.

22 Filed: Oct. 27, 1971 21 Appl. No.: 192,912

Jorge Lay, Santurce, P.R.

52 U.s. c1.. ..200/s1.14, 200/168 R 51 1111. c1. .1101: 33/28 [58] Field of Search ..200/51.14, 168 R [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,895,035 1/1935 Hanson ..200/51.14 2,298,053 10/1942 Helland ..2oo/51.14 x

1111 3,737,592 1 June 5,1973

l,672,729 6/1928 Pape ..200/5l.l4 X

Primary Examiner-Robert K. Schaefer Assistant Examiner-William J. Smith Attorney-Howard I. Podell 57 ABSTRACT 3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures IMPROVED REPLACEABLE ELECTRIC SWITCH It is the purpose of my invention to enable the simple replacement of defective electrical switches, such as are used in households, by permitting the removal of the switch element from the switch housing, and the replacing of a new switch element.

In my invention, it is not necessary to tamper with the connections of the external electrical conductors to the switch housing, as such connections are automatically made to the switch element, when said element is installed in the switch housing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:

The objects and features of my invention may be further understood with reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention taken together with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of an electrical switch of my invention mounted in a conventional wall receptacle;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section of the switch housing; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-section of the replaceable switch element which fits into the switch housing.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, FIG. 1 illustrates the complete switch installed in a conventional electrical junction box 17.

As shown in FIG. 1, the external electrical conductors are fastened to terminal screws 11 and 12.

The switch 10, consists of switch housing and switch element 30, detailed in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 respectively. Switch housing 20 is permanently fastened to frame 13 which is fastened to the junction box 17 by means of screws 15. A conventional wall plate 16 is fastened over the switch frame 13 to enclose junction box 17 by means of screws 14 which thread into tapped holes in frame 13.

Electrical connector terminal screw 11 threads into conductor 19 of the switch housing which is permanently connected to female metal socket thread 21 inside the housing 20. Electrical connector terminal screw 12 threads into conductor 22 which is permanently connected to metal spring element 18, which may be of U shaped construction.

Switch element 30 is enclosed in external metal thread 32 which mates with female socket thread 21, enabling the switch element 30 to be screwed into the switch housing 20 with electrical contact 33 of the switch element contacting electrical spring contact 18, and metal thread 32 electrically contacting metal socket thread 21. The switch is turned to the ON position by rotating operator 31 which rotates shaft 37 so that the long side of rectangular metal contact 36 is lined up and in contact with both electrical contacts 34 and 35, which are respectively permanently connected to contacts 33 and 32 respectively.

Further rotation of operator 31 rotates rectangular metal contact 36 so that the short side of said contact faces the internal switch contacts 34 and 35, breaking the electrical connection between contacts 34 and 35, since the length of the short side of contact 36 is less The switch element 30 may be removed from the switch housing 20, when it is defective, by rotating said switch element out of the housing. Another similar switch element may be screwed in as a replacement, without requiring removal of the wall plate 16 or tam pering with the external electrical conductors which are externally screwed to the switch housing by terminal screws 11 and 12. Thus repair of a defective switch by replacing the switch element may be accomplished with the same case, as the replacement of conventional electrical bulbs in conventional electrical sockets.

Since obvious changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the invention described herein without departing from the spirit or scope thereof, it is indicated that all matter contained herein is intended to be interpreted in an illustrative sense and not a limiting sense. Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A replaceable electric switch which is housed in a shell of generally cylindrical proportions, with the ex,- temal wall of the housing being fitted with a metal shell in the form of a male screw thread of a size to mate with a metal female screw thread of an electrical socket, such that the electrical switch maybe fastened electrically and mechanically to the electrical socket by means of said mating threads, with a protruding tip on the internal end of the switch, in the assembled mode, making electrical contact with metal center contact in the socket,

said switch being fitted internally with switching means to either directly connect or disconnect an electrical circuit between the protruding metal tip of the switch and the external male threaded shell of the switch in the assembled mode in a socket,

said switching means being responsive to the rotation of a knob externally mounted to the outer end of said switch, with said knob fixed to a rotatable shaft fabricated of electrically insulated material and mounted in the switch body so as to protrude through the outer end of said switch body where one end of the shaft is fixed to said knob, the cross-section of said shaft being of a polygonal shape, with compression spring members mounted internally to the switch body so as to frictionally bear against the flat sides of the shaft so as to orient the rotatable shaft normally in one of several angular orientations about its axis,

with the inner end of said shaft fitted to a rectangular shaped metal rotatable contact member in the form of a flat strip, the plane of which is perpendicular to the axis of the shaft to which it is fastened,

said rotatable contact member having a greater length along a first axis than its width along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, together with a first fixed contact member formed of spring metal which is directly mechanically and electrically permanently fastened to the end of the protruding metal tab of the switch, and

a second fixed contact member formed of spring metal which is directly mechanically and electrically permanently fastened to the external metal threaded shell of the switch,

the contact-making surfaces of the said first and second contact members being separated from each other bya distance greater than-the width .of theretatable contact member and less than the length of the rotatable contact member, and located so that the rotatable contact member rotates on the shaft in the plane of separation of the fixed contact members, with rotation of the rotatable" contact member on its shaft alternately making or 'fbrealt in'g mechanical and electrical contact ,i Jithfthe two fixed contact members. 2. The combination as recited in claim 1, in which the cross-section of the shaft is in the shape of arect'angle. 3. The combination as recited in claim 2, in which the cross-section of the shaft is in the shape of a'sqiiare.

* k l r 

1. A replaceable electric switch which is housed in a shell of generally cylindrical proportions, with the external wall of the housing being fitted with a metal shell in the form of a male screw thread of a size to mate with a metal female screw thread of an electrical socket, such that the electrical switch may be fastened electrically and mechanically to the electrical socket by means of said mating threads, with a protruding tip on the internal end of the switch, in the assembled mode, making electrical contact with metal center contact in the socket, said switch being fitted internally with switching means to either directly connect or disconnect an electrical circuit between the protruding metal tip of the switch and the external male threaded shell of the switch in the assembled mode in a socket, said switching means being responsive to the rotation of a knob externally mounted to the outer end of said switch, with said knob fixed to a rotatable shaft fabricated of electrically insulated material and mounted in the switch body so as to protrude through the outer end of said switch body where one end of the shaft is fixed to said knob, the cross-section of said shaft being of a polygonal shape, with compression spring members mounted internally to the switch body so as to frictionally bear against the flat sides of the shaft so as to orient the rotatable shaft normally in one of several angular orientations about its axis, with the inner end of said shaft fitted to a rectangular shaped metal rotatable contact member in the form of a flat strip, the plane of which is perpendicular to the axis of the shaft to which it is fastened, said rotatable contact member having a greater length along a first axis than its width along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, together with a first fixed contact member formed of spring metal which is directly mechanically and electrically permanently fastened to the end of the protruding metal tab of the switch, and a second fixed contact member formed of spring metal which is directly mechanically and electrically permanently fastened to the external metal threaded shell of the switch, the contact-making surfaces of the said first and second contact members being separated from each other by a distance greater than the width of the rotatable contact member and less than the length of the rotatable contact member, and located so that the rotatable contact member rotates on the shaft in the plane of separation of the fixed contact members, with rotation of the rotatable contact member on its shaft alternately making or breaking mechanical and electrical contact with the two fixed contact members.
 2. The combination as recited in claim 1, in which the cross-section of the shaft is in the shape of a rectangle.
 3. The combination as recited in claim 2, in which the cross-section of the shaft is in the shape of a square. 